compiled overview of the 40
ton Cicada 'Mech, from various
BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:
As tensions mounted near the
fall of the Star League many small manufacturers entered the
BattleMech industry. In this period,
HartfordCo, well-known for producing fine communications and targeting systems, began constructing
'Mechs on their home planet of
Bryant. Their single contribution to
battlefield technology was the
Cicada.
With
Bergan Industries holding almost a total
monopoly on the contracts for small
recon 'Mechs, HartfordCo proposed a 'Mech heavier than the
Locust made by
Bergan. It would be armed with the well proven
Magna laser systems, and be as fast as the
Locust but weighing twice as much. Most important,
the price was right. The
Star League took a limited contract for the
Cicada, shipping it to replace many of the
Locusts lost in border areas.
The
Cicada's
speed is one of its major
assets. As a light recon
'Mech, it can cover great distances in a short time. Moreover, the 'Mech's
armor and
weaponry make it a serious
foe in
circumstances where a
Locust might
fail. The reliability of the weapons and their
tracking systems is also well established.
The
HartfordCo heat sinks proved to be of an inferior design, however, tending to wear out and
fail to perform to full capacity after extended use. If not repaired, the sinks will vent only 60 percent of the heat transferred to them, which could lead to serious
overheating in a
combat situation. Though many
Cicadas currently in use have replaced the original
heat sinks with modular sinks, a number of defective
HartfordCo sinks are still in use.
The number of
Cicadas produced was limited, due to the size of the manufacturer's facilities on
Bryant. With
the fall of the Star League, the proximity of the facilities to all of the warring Houses made the planet the target of many
raids. In fact, that is how many of the
Cicadas stored on Bryant found their way into the arsenals of all five
Successor Houses.
One of the
Cicada's most outstanding combat performances occurred in 2930 when
House Kurita's
Galedon Regulars engaged
House Davion on the planet
Xhosa. Reinforced with several
Cicadas, one
Kurita light
recon lance managed to hold the city of
Tar for several days before the
Davion forces took control. Because a small band of lightly armed defenders held off several
lances of crack troops for several days,
historians have compared the
engagement to the Battle of
the Alamo on
Earth or
the Battle for Kervil during the
Reunification War.
As the
Cicada's
reputation grew throughout the
Successor States, expectations for its performance exceeded its capabilities. In one of a long series of battles on the planet
Oriente, crack troops of
Liao's
Northwind Highlanders tried to take the planet from
House Marik. Attached to
Marik's
Fusiliers of Oriente's Fifth Brigade were several
lances of
Cicada 'Mechs defending a lake area. Unfortunately for the
defenders, most of their
Cicadas were equipped with the inferior
HartfordCo heat sinks. While the
Cicadas fought a prolonged battle on the shores of
Lake Mirrorshade, their heat sinks began to give way, and several
'Mechs overheated at critical moments. When it was over, many
Marik troops were dead.
In 3000, however, two
Cicadas attached to
House Steiner's 32nd Regiment of
the Lyran Guard proved their worth at a series of battles on
Kobe. As a raiding force, the two
Cicada pilots managed to penetrate a border defense line, rushed to the rear area, and then made their way to the
Kurita command
bunker some 58 kilometers
behind enemy lines. Finding the bunker only lightly defended,
MechWarriors Jason and Thurd were able to capture the commanding officers. This led to a victory for the
Steiner forces and commendations for the two
Cicada pilots.
The
Free Worlds League, the only producer of the
Cicada since the fall of the
Star League, has given this design increasing priority in recent years. The availability of recovered
Star League technology is expected to continue this trend, as
blueprints obtained by
ComStar indicate that the
Cicada will benefit even more from upgrading than most
'Mechs. The plans, obtained by
Adept XV-rho Karel Tzowsz on the planet
Gibson, show that
Marik military planners intend to use recovered technology to keep the
Cicada's greatest asset speed-while eliminating its biggest headache, excessive heat build-up. At the same time, the new model will receive upgraded weapons and armor protection.
The incorporation of
double heat sinks will virtually eliminate the
Cicada's problems with heat build-up. Installation of the reliable
Hermes 320 XL engine will significantly reduce the
'Mech's weight, allowing it to carry more and heavier weapons. The plans call for replacing the
Magna 200 small laser with the new
Magna 200P small pulse laser and adding an
Imperator Ultra-5 autocannon. These changes will make the
Cicada a far more powerful foe. To make sure that the Imperator's ammunition does not become a liability, designers plan to install
Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment. As a package, the CDA-3M Cicada may provide
a rude awakening for enemies of the
Free Worlds League.
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